For centuries, Gideon Montrose has served the King of Fairies without question and, often, without mercy. So when the King orders him to apprehend a notorious thief, Gideon obeys. But when he finally gets his hands on the beautiful culprit, Gideon’s in for a shock.

Arabella Locksley is none other than the spirited, unpredictable woman he knew back in Make Believe as Robin Hood — the love of his life whose tragic death destroyed his chance at Happily Ever After.

Now, he has an impossible choice. Betray the woman he once loved, or the king he’s bound to serve?

My Thoughts and Summary:
Gideon is on the case. Someone is stealing the Fairy Kings transports - shipments of the king's very addictive fairy dust - and it's becoming far to common of an incident. It seems an unknown tale, from a list of known thieves, came to the Here and Now about the time the transports started to go missing. A tale by the name of Locksley. Al Addin and the Fairy King both want this tale brought in, the each individually. Gideon is on it, yet something feels...familiar.

Oh, Kate. You steal my heart and make me so curious with your Prologues. I LOVE THEM!! I'm curious as to what she is taking back that is hers. Then to see who Gideon's love was! O.O WOW! The one he lost and the reason he's in the service to the Fairy King. But when we learn ALLLL the details at the end. I just can't say more. YOU need to read it!

In previous books we learned a lot about fairy dust and the characters at play here. Three years after the ugly happenings with the Agency, a secret branch of the Ordinaries government. It all comes together.

We get to see the characters from previous books, where they are now years later. Puck, Red, Nate, Lavender, Seth, and all. And it's adorable. I'm excited to see Gideon get a chance at his Happily Ever After.

We touch into the King Arthur era here with a museum that was robbed of three items that belong to King Arthur. Even his wife is here in the Here and Now. Oh and her story! We get to see that play out here too. Like an added bonus!

Kate once again mixes love into an amazing plot with characters that we all can enjoy, even the ones we don't love as they are bad. Thank you Kate for the amazing stories and characters in this world. I have enjoyed them all.

Playing by Heart

Music plays a huge part in my writing process, and that was certainly the case while I was writing EVER AFTER, the fourth book in my Transplanted Tales series. There were numerous songs that played a key role in helping me get a feel for the emotional tone of the novel.

The Chieftains and Apocalyptica both figured prominently on my writing playlist this time around, even more so than usual. In fact, Apocalpytica’s Reflections album could have been the soundtrack! Here are some of the highlights by those artists as well as by a few others:

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

This week is an exciting week as the book tour for RIVER is happening (and there is a giveaway with it!). So what a better time than to share this new cover with the world? Skyla raised enough money on her kickstarter to redo and rerelease the second book, WOLFE.

And today I'm able to share with you the new cover!

Ready?!?!?

Wolfe

#2 River Wolfe series

By: Skyla Dawn Cameron

Due Out: 2015

I love how the covers follow a pattern and are similar.

We don't have a description for it yet, but I'm excited after seeing the first book. And if you'd like to start this series as well, you can order up your copy of the first book, RIVER.

Monday, August 25, 2014

It seems there are many books based on or influenced by Myths and Mythological Beings.

There are so many different Mythology and Mythological Beings recorded. Some are very popular and well known, others not so much. There are many similar beings, yet different depending on the culture it’s based in. The definition of Myth covers about anything in the Urban Fantasy/Fantasy realm to me.I’ve invited authors to share briefly the Mythological being or Myth that influenced their character(s) or story, or what their character(s) are based on influencing their books. Hosting here, one author and being or myth per week.

This week we have:

Author Skyla Dawn Cameron

Talking of Werewolves.

The Big Bad Werewolf Human

“We have doomed the wolf not for what it is, but for what we deliberately and mistakenly perceive it to be –the mythologized epitome of a savage ruthless killer – which is, in reality, no more than a reflected image of ourself.”

–Farley Mowat

A lot of initial questions about River I’ve received since back when it was first released in 2006 centered around “Where did you get the idea of a wolf-turned-human from?” The basic answer was fairly simple: the bite.

The bite from werewolf to victim and lycanthropy as a virus is one of the staples of current werewolf mythology, so much so that I think most people here “werewolf” and immediately jump to “bite.”

When I sit down to write any story with a particular mythology in mind, I settle in and go into research mode. Not so with River. In this case I sat down in the afternoon with a piece of paper (unlined, folded in half) with a blue pen and brainstormed, tossing out whatever came to mind. The moment I hit “bite”, something flipped in my brain and I had River’s story.

Everything else I threw out. Literally, everything. Full moon? No, my mythology has no link to lunar cycles or metaphors that involve such things. Silver? Well, no, because I couldn’t come up with a reason to involve it. But the bite, the virus, the transfer through saliva—that seemed logical to me, and that I could work with.

It’s actually a relatively recent addition; the original stories of werewolves involved curses given by gods, drinking from magic streams, wearing the skin of the animal, incantations, and many other origins. Being bitten was rarely a factor until much later. During the middle ages, the belief in werewolves actually coincided with the paranoia about witches and devil worship; witch hunts and executions often involved accusations of lycanthropy as well. Werewolves, like their wolf counterpart, have a lengthy history of being given a bad rap.

Of course, the other place River had her origins in was the question: why make the character a werewolf if she’s not going to act like a wolf?

That, in a nutshell, is probably my problem with most depictions of werewolves. If your character is going to turn into a wolf—not a mindless half-beast but an actual wolf—then it should behave like one.

Violent urges are attributed to the animal, not the human behind it; wolves, by contrast, are no more “blood-thirsty” than any other predator, and within the pack it’s not uncommon to see them resolve issues without fighting. The rigid hierarchy and fight for dominance we associate with wolves, the possessive nature of werewolves, has little basis in actual wolves; there is a particular ritualistic dance at play between packmates but the hierarchy serves to strengthen the unit, and the aggression and “dominance” we associate with them is actually based on old faulty studies. The desire to randomly slaughter, to practice cruelty—these, again, are not animal traits. They are human. The mythology of the bite and the division between actual wolf behaviours and human ones were my focus in River.

The life of an alpha female wolf was irrevocably changed the night she was attacked and bitten, and awoke confused, alone, and human. Three years later, thrust into a world where she doesn’t belong and living in foster care, River barely tolerates humanity and still doesn’t know who bit her or why.

But River isn’t as alone as she previously thought; someone’s been watching her, someone who holds the answers she’s been seeking. And though the human who changed her seems to be a step ahead of her at every turn, River is determined to beat his game and return to her pack and mate.

As if being stuck in a world she hates, with a life she never asked for, and faced with a destiny she doesn’t want wasn’t bad enough, River still must find a way to survive every human’s greatest challenge: high school.

Her early storytelling days were spent acting out strange horror/fairy tales with the help of her many dolls, and little has changed except that she now keeps those stories on paper. She signed her first book contract at age twenty-one for River, a unique werewolf tale, which was released to critical and reader praise alike and won her the 2007 EPPIE Award for Best Fantasy. She now has multiple series on the go to keep her busy, which is great for her short attention span. She is also a proud Writer of Unlikable Female Characters™.

Skyla is a fifth generation crazy cat lady who lives in southern Ontario, where she writes full time, works as a freelance designer, stabs people with double pointed knitting needles, is an avid gamer, and watches Buffy reruns. If she ever becomes a grownup, she wants to run her own Irish pub, as well as become world dictator.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Recommendation: The start of a new magic series with an Epic Fantasy feel to the writing and world.

Book Synopsis:
Set in a richly-imagined world, this action-heavy fantasy epic and series opener is like a sword-and-sorcery Spartacus.

It starts with a shipwreck following a magical storm at sea. Horace, a soldier from the west, had joined the Great Crusade against the heathens of Akeshia after the deaths of his wife and son from plague. When he washes ashore, he finds himself at the mercy of the very people he was sent to kill, who speak a language and have a culture and customs he doesn't even begin to understand.

Not long after, Horace is pressed into service as a house slave. But this doesn't last. The Akeshians discover that Horace was a latent sorcerer, and he is catapulted from the chains of a slave to the halls of power in the queen's court. Together with Jirom, an ex-mercenary and gladiator, and Alyra, a spy in the court, he will seek a path to free himself and the empire's caste of slaves from a system where every man and woman must pay the price of blood or iron. Before the end, Horace will have paid dearly in both.

First Sentence:
Lightning split the night sky above the masts of the Bantu Ray.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Horace wakes in a home of strangers speaking a language quite different from any he's ever heard after being washed off the deck of the ship he worked on. Horace is in his countries enemy land, and learns the magic that lays within him when a frightening chaos storm of green lightning rolls in while he's chained with other slaves heading to a temple. Horace meets Jirom, a champion fighter and mercenary captured into slavery months ago. A keen friendship is quickly made when both men see how strong the other is, and not simply muscle strength. While in the grace of the Queen Byleth, Horace meets Alyra. Alyra is a strong slave to the Queen and yet so much more in the world. Horace grows in this town of constant danger and political games.

Jon has produced a story with a strong epic fantasy feel. The story moves along with major event after another with great descriptions of the town, buildings, rooms, and people as we go. I can see some thinking this slows the pace of the story as it stretches the events longer in reading, but it's part of what draws the epic fantasy picture. The world building of the culture Horace comes into and the magic that is cherished here is powerful.

There are three main characters we follow, yet possibly five. First we meet Horace. He's a simple man. He seems to be of a passive personality, not wanting much from the world or life as he's lost what was dear to him before. Yet he survives through the tortures the world puts on him. Horace even ends in a stronger sense than when he started. And he learns of a magic awakened in him. Cool. And I have so many questions about how he's different too. I'm curious of the potential he shows and where it will go.

We then meet Jirom. I have my eye on this man. I seem to love a good mercenary in fantasy and a man with a firm direction.

Then we have Alyra. Alyra caught my attention right off and held it. Her purpose in life and her whereabouts are fully active. I'm curious of her surroundings, even how cruel it can be. I love her determination and will for what she is here to do. She is in the perfect position for what she has to do.

The other two characters we see more of are Queen Byleth and Lord Mulcibar. Mmm, the Queen. I love her. Maybe it's the evil in me, but I enjoyed reading her. She's cunning, powerful, and smart. She knows she's being cornered and will do anything to keep herself safe. And even her people. Lord Mulibar is a likeable character as well. Though there was a few moments I wasn't sure I should trust him. (Yes I'm a suspicious one.) He is the teacher to Horace for the new magic he has found within himself. Mulibar is the way we learn of the magic in this part of the world, and it's interesting to learn with Horace.

There is a question of who is the lesser of two evils present in this book. Which is the worst to rule the city and land? It's a political game to get on top, and keep it.

I'm looking forward to the next three books of the series to see where our characters go and what happens in this city. And there is one that is thought to be an ally that may be something else, but we will see how that plays out in the coming books.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

I am struggling with this post so if I seem to get lost as I'm talking, please bear with me. See, I've found out this week that we are losing a talented bard to cancer. It's a form of cancer that you don't know about or where it started. It's there and spreads rabid to everything. He is dying. There is nothing the doctors can do for him. It was just as sudden for him as it is for his friends and those that admire him. P.G. Holyfield has a form of cancer called Cholangiocarcinoma. You can read the announcement at specificmedia.

Even though I wasn't a close friend of his, it's hitting me right in the heart and soul. I think this is so hard
because of the thought that sits in our minds - we have time. We have next year. We have tomorrow. We have time. Well, we don't always have that time we thought we had.

Let me back up to the end of May, at Balticon. I ALWAYS go with a list of people I want to meet. Yes, everyone laughs about my list, but with the craziness it keeps me on track. I want to say hello, let them know I enjoyed their hard work (wheither written or spoken) and that it meant something to find their work. Hey, they need to know these things, it keeps me in supply of amazing words.

P.G. Holyfield was on that list. I had talked with P.G. briefly for several months on Twitter and through email when I asked him to do a post here. He'd always been kind and I loved his work, so I had to say hi. Now if you have been to conventions you know it's crazy city. Between getting to panels you are on and panels you want to see there are all these amazing people that want to talk to you (or you talk to them). The four days are usually a mad dash to get around to see everyone, and sometimes it doesn't work out. P.G. was one of those sadly missed opportunities.

I did see P.G. in a panel, neither of us on it. He came in late and sat by me. I knew who he was instantly, he may not have known me at that moment. But I whispered hi. We did get to say hi in passing and planned to meet up to chat at some point in the weekend. We'd both be there all weekend, we had time. I don't know how many times we passed in the hall going different directions, but P.G. always waved and said we'd catch up. I did the same.

Monday came. I went home. As you can probably guess, I never did get to sit down and talk with P.G. There were a few others that I missed as well. But on the way home I thought; Next year. Next year I'll catch up with him for sure. Well, sadly that isn't going to happen.

But, there is a bright side to the story! P.G. caught me of Facebook one day and we got to chat there. He didn't know if there was something specific I was wanting to talk about when at Balticon. I said no just wanted to say hi and thank you. So we chatted there for a while, laughing at each others jokes. I will say for once, as I'm not much of a Facebook fan, thank you Facebook.

I've learned that there isn't enough time in the world, so it's time to make the best of what we have. Make sure to say hi to everyone you want to talk too. Tell those around you that they matter and/or you love them. Enjoy what time you do have with everyone you come across. It's hard somedays, but those that touch our hearts and soul in one way or another mean something and we should say so.

Well, now I've decided a few things about Balticon. There may not be a next year, so I'm taking lots of pictures with EVERYONE. (Nobilis said he'll program a little quadrotor drone to follow me and take pictures since I'm terrible at selfies.) I'm going to find everyone that's on the list and say hello.

P.G. Holyfield. You might recognize his name if you've been by the blog lately or even for the last year. He is an author and podcaster. He wrote the fantasy story I loved, Murder at Avedon Hill. He podcasted his story along with released it in print. He is also a voice at SpecFic.com where they talk books, movies, and games.

I may not have known P.G. as well as many, but what I did see was a great person. P.G. may not have realized it, but he is one of the great children of Az in which he wrote about. He dipped into the river of magic and shared his voice, words, and wisdom with us freely. We all have been touch with the magic. His words and voice will be immortalized for all in the world of books and internet for us and those to yet find him.

What am I trying to say? *sigh* Well, I guess a few things. I want to let you know about P.G., that you can help if you are able, and to ramble on about a kind person. But to also hope you take a moment to tell others you appreciate them.

I hope you take the time to tell loved ones they are special. And I hope you spread the kindness to others around you and let people, even those you just meet, that they are amazing as well. Even people you don't know, if you read a book and loved it, send a thank you to that author. A thank you and a hello goes a long way.

We have time. We just don't know how long we have. So say your hello's today.

Recommendation: A glimpse into the past when the girls come fulling into their powers.

Synopsis:Discover Cecy Robson’s sensational Weird Girls series—or return to where the magic first began—with this eBook original prequel novella about four sisters coming to grips with their unique supernatural powers.

Celia Wird shouldn’t possess the ability to transform into a tigress. Her three sisters should never be able to burst into flames, heal wounds, or transform common objects into deadly weapons. And yet they do.

Before they were born, the Wird Sisters were cursed by a spell that was intended to destroy them, not endow them with extraordinary powers. The sisters’ magic is untamed and explosive at best, and time is running out for them to take command.

Vampires have targeted Celia’s sweet, tragically human ex-boyfriend Danny. The sisters rush to his aid, but in order to take down the vamps, first they must face their dark past and break a spell that’s screwing up their powers. Except this curse wasn’t meant to be broken . . . and the witch who cast it isn’t done toying with them yet.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Danny's desperate call for Celia's help gets Celia and the girls into action, days before leaving for their new home. Vampires are after him and his dad. A female vampire master has fixated on Danny's dad, feeding on him and now taken him. The sisters and Danny come across another vampire with the same target, looking to advance himself as a Master.

The sisters are determined and looking forward to the new move. They are growing and trying to control the touch of powers they have. The sisters don't want to get involved, but Celia wants to help the one person that has been good to them all. They try to avoid the paranormal world, but that isn't always possible. We see Celia struggle with her growing strength and control of her tigeress, especially with no prey to hunt. The stress of the moving have brought on the nightmares of her last hunt, and kill.

We see a bit of Celia's past with Danny, talk of their past relationship. Through Danny the girls learn a touch of curses and magic. He's been reading up on magic to help his friends, the sisters. And now, he believes the sisters are bound, holding their powers back along with their control of what touch they have.

This story touches on the girls previous experience with vampires and magic curses. The vampire experience is of both views, kind and horrid. Then the magic curse that was done to their parents, and them in turn. There is a nasty curse that is held over them. There is even a glimpse of what can happen to those that mess with the bad people of magic and powers.

Not the romance setting. But kicking on the action setting. The girls are a bit new on the fighting side of things, and it shows in the battles they get in. But I love that they are not perfect and are learning, even learning of their powers.

Cecy delivers with these sisters once again. They struggle, but fight strong and stick together. They are new to the fighting, but they fight hard. We learn more of the family curse set upon them, bringing a glimpse of the past with it.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Recommendation: More of the supernatural and action of the SCC, with a dash of romance.

Synopsis:
Diesel Jones is a shifter who has issues with the moon, but he quickly finds that Sofia Cabrera, a clever witch who just moved in to town, is his only hope to reach his goal of becoming a Collector. When they pair up to take down an incubus, she not only saves his life, but wins his heart in the process…

**I requested a copy to read for my enjoyment and an honest review from the author.

First Sentence:
"You want me to do what?" Diesel Jones sat across from Jake's uncle, Louie Fiore, and scratched his head.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Diesel Jones has his chance to be one of the SCC (Sin City Collectors). But first he must complete this trial run job. The catch, to bring in an incubus (which he hates as a whole species) and on the night of the month he struggles to not lose control to his wolf - the night of the full moon. The mission leads Diesel to the doorstep of the sexy new witch in town, that he's starting to fall for, Sofia. The mission brings Diesel closer to Sofia as it seems she's his help in succeeding on his assignment, and more.

I had loved meeting Diesel, briefly, in Aces Wild as the bartender at Jake's bar and was thrilled to hear he was getting his story here. Diesel and a wolf shifter and he's found he's attracted to a new witch in town, Sofia. What Diesel isn't ready to see is that Sofia is just as attracted to him. But it does come to light when an incubus in involved.

Diesel has...issues with the full moons. And this assignment is taking place over the three day cycle of the full moon. It's a test to see if he can control himself. If he can and can complete the mission, he'll get his official papers as a SCC. We learn a great deal of Diesel's past, and the reason he's the way he is at the full moons. Interesting the details we get. Then we have Sofia. Sofia is still a touch of a mystery to us, yet we learn some secrets of hers as well.

Since the story is set in the same world as the other novellas we get to see previous characters again, and they help Diesel with his mission, of SCC manner and of personal vendetta.

Amanda once again blends all the elements into one story like the masterful writer she is. She has a big Urban Fantasy world that doesn't feel as it's overwhelming with action and love happening at the same time. A full story for the main characters. One thing here, I do get a feel for who the next story is going to be for. It's not the usual Amanda Carlson ending, but you have a feel for who is next.

It seems there are many books based on or influenced by Myths and Mythological Beings.

There are so many different Mythology and Mythological Beings recorded. Some are very popular and well known, others not so much. There are many similar beings, yet different depending on the culture it’s based in. The definition of Myth covers about anything in the Urban Fantasy/Fantasy realm to me.I’ve invited authors to share briefly the Mythological being or Myth that influenced their character(s) or story, or what their character(s) are based on influencing their books. Hosting here, one author and being or myth per week.

This week we have:

Author Kerry Schafer

Talking of Bigfoot.

Beware the Bigfoot

Since I write books set in the Between – that place between dreaming and waking where anything is possible— I have the pleasure and privilege of bringing in any sort of creature I choose. All of the Between books have dragons. Between features a penguin. (It was a happy surprise to discover that penguins are one of the totem animals for dreamers and visionaries). The third book, The Nothing has griffins.

And in Book Two, Wakeworld, I borrowed some myths from my local Pacific Northwest.

Sasquatches.

You probably call the creatures Bigfoot (Bigfeet?) You've seen TV ads that turn them into a joke, and maybe even some of those reality shows where not so bright, so-called researchers set out into the wilderness tracking tales of a big hairy beast that they assume has a brain the size of a pea and no inclination to the destruction of humans. Because, you know, if you do find a Big Foot he's going to be fuzzy and cuddly like a giant teddy bear.

I even saw one TV show where a group of women, sleeping in a flimsy little tent without any meaningful protection, were convinced they could lure the beast out with their feminine voices. As in, it would be sexually attracted and come out to investigate. I'm assuming that in the reality world if there is such a thing as a Sasquatch and if it decided a human was worthy of its sexual attention, it might not be a pleasant experience and you might not live to trade gossip with your friends.

Here's the thing. The Native Americans have legends of the Sasquatch, and in those tales the creatures are supernatural and unfriendly, not something that you play around with. They have an ability to mess with things like, oh, time for example. Guns misfire in their presence, or don't fire at all. They can raise the water level in a lake and drown you if they feel like it.

Oh, and they stink like something between carrion and skunk.

Not exactly a sexy beast that you want to get it on with.

It seems logical to me that if there is a Between, why wouldn't Sasquatches belong there? And if they are found in the forests of the world, it's probably because some dreamshifter got careless and let some slip through into the waking world. Which is pretty much what happens in Wakeworld. Weston, aka Morgan, is a reluctant dreamshifter who uses his ability to help hunters tag something a little more exotic than usual. He uses Sasquatch tales to his advantage:

"He had permitted rumors of Sasquatch sightings to judiciously leak into the community. Bigfoot hunters paid even better than the average sportsman. Truth was, he’d had a few glimpses of the big beasts in the dream landscape, including one too-close encounter that left him wary, but although he saw them often enough, they always slipped out of sight and left him well alone."

Which is all fine and wonderful, until it all goes terribly wrong with a hunting party consisting of an old man, Carpenter, and his granddaughter:

"Hell and damnation. They hadn’t followed. He could barely make them out down in the shadows, braced back to back with rifles ready. Down the ravine on either side, branches swayed. A loud banging sound, as of sticks against tree trunks, and then that howling again that turned his bowels to water.

He tried to shout but found he had no voice. He ordered his body to go back down, told himself that he must not abandon his party. Throughout his long life he’d faced down all manner of creatures without fear. Now he stood silently cursing himself, shivering like a rabbit under the paw of a coyote, and watched the hunting party, his hunting party, that he had abandoned and run away from.

Two dark shadows were visible now, emerging from the trees. The offensive stink was almost unbearable, wafting up to him in waves that set him retching.

The beasts were well within range, out of the trees now and visible. They were roughly man-shaped but covered in brown fur, bent forward a little at the hips, with long apelike arms and human hands. As they moved, they banged on tree trunks with sticks, keeping up a constant howling.

Carpenter’s rifle leaped and then exploded in a burst of fire. The man went down with a scream and one of the beasts leaned over him, blocking him from sight. The girl, still self- possessed and externally calm, took aim in turn. Her finger pulled the trigger. The rifle clicked. Nothing happened. She tried again. Another click.

Still the creature advanced toward her.

At last she screamed and broke into a run. One of the man-creatures shambled in pursuit, graceless and awkward, but fast.

Dropping to one knee, trying to steady his shaking hands, Morgan drew a bead on the Sasquatch and fired. It kept running. He fired again. Saw in disbelief a little puff of dirt and rock as the bullet struck way wide of his target.

But even as he fired again it picked up speed, long legs covering the ground in a shambling stride, caught Jenn around the waist and swung her up over its shoulder. She struggled and fought, beating with her fists on the beast’s back. Her eyes found Morgan and she began to scream, still not in a panicked fear but half plea, half command. “Help me! Morgan—”

Both of the creatures turned then to look up at him. He felt the full force of their burning eyes, a pressure on his brain, a searching.

Revenge."

There are two takeaway messages from this sad story.

1) If you encounter a Sasquatch out in the wild (or definitely if you find one in the city, since it's probably rabid) run like hell.

2) Remember that it came from the Between, and look out for an open door.

Author Bio:

Kerry Schafer is licensed both as a Mental Health Professional and an RN, and spends most of her daylight hours helping people--usually even with a smile. In books, she gets to blow stuff up and kill people (or possibly dragons and exploding slime toads). She has published two novels with Ace Books: Between and Wakeworld. She is also the author of The Dream Wars e-novellas.

Kerry and her Viking live in Colville, Washington, in a little house surrounded by rocks, trees, and gangs of deer and wild turkeys.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share new about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

~~~~~~~~~~

It's Sunday, and it's been another busy week. Lots happening here and over the weekend was lots of family time. Today I have more family/mundane life things to do but I'm hoping to get to comments, for the past weeks posts, tonight.

Last week was a big week here on the blog. I celebrated my 5th blog birthday! There are many giveaways and they are running through the 19th. So go enter them! :)

Next week, I'm be MIA. With the schedule kiddo has for sports, I'm not going to be around here. But I will post some reviews for you if you still come to visit. :)

Dead Things by Stephen BlackmooreAmazon Synopsis:
Necromancer is such an ugly word, but it's a title Eric Carter is stuck with.

He sees ghosts, talks to the dead. He's turned it into a lucrative career putting troublesome spirits to rest, sometimes taking on even more dangerous things. For a fee, of course.

When he left LA fifteen years ago, he thought he'd never go back. Too many bad memories. Too many people trying to kill him.

But now his sister's been brutally murdered and Carter wants to find out why.

Was it the gangster looking to settle a score? The ghost of a mage he killed the night he left town? Maybe it's the patrion saint of violent death herself, Santa Muerte, who's taken an unusually keen interest in him.

Carter's going to find out who did it, and he's going to make them pay.

As long as they don't kill him first.

Broken Souls by Stephen BlackmooreGoodreads Synopsis:
Sister murdered, best friend dead, married to the patron saint of death, Santa Muerte. Necromancer Eric Carter's return to Los Angeles hasn't gone well, and it's about to get even worse.

His link to the Aztec death goddess is changing his powers, changing him, and he's not sure how far it will go. He's starting to question his own sanity, wonder if he's losing his mind. No mean feat for a guy who talks to the dead on a regular basis.

While searching for a way to break Santa Muerte's hold over him, Carter finds himself the target of a psychopath who can steal anyone's form, powers, and memories. Identity theft is one thing, but this guy does it by killing his victims and wearing their skins like a suit. He can be anyone. He can be anywhere.

Now Carter has to change the game -- go from hunted to hunter. All he has for help is a Skid Row bruja and a ghost who's either his dead friend Alex or the manifestation of Carter's own guilt-fueled psychotic break.

Everything is trying to kill him. Nothing is as it seems. If all his plans go perfectly, he might survive the week.

He's hoping that's a good thing.

Free Ebooks:

Free Audio Books/Stories:

~~~~~~~~~~

Reviews to Come:

Ravenwood by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Marco and The Red Granny by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)

The Secret World Chronicle: The Hunt by Mercedes Lackey & Steve Libbey (in audiobook while at work)

Rusted Veins by Jaye Wells

Hauntedby Amanda Bonilla

The Secret World Chronicle: World Well Lost by Mercees Lackey,Steve Libby, Cody Martin, & Dennis Lee

Friday, August 15, 2014

This is the last post for the Blog Birthday Celebrations. I'm sad to see it come to an end. But there are many amazing posts and giveaways to look at and enter for. This is one of them.

One of my favorite fantasy reads this year was The Coffee Legacy by Katharina Bordet. I love the story she created around the coffee legend and the world she created. There is a murder, a mystery, troubles, and more in this magical tale.

Do you have to like coffee to enjoy the book? Oh heavens no. But if you do enjoy coffee, there are recipes for many different kinds here for you to try.

Giveaway Time!

Katharina has graciously offered One (1) ebook for a giveaway!

The Coffee Legacy

Description:

An old café, an even older legend and a new threat.

When Isabelle's secret past returns to haunt her nightmares, she must take action to protect her family from a threat that is closer than she realises.

Set within the traditional Viennese café culture, The Coffee Legacy is the story of café owner Isabelle Schindler-Krug and her role in a struggle for power that stretches back for centuries.

As she tells her sons the legends behind coffee and Vienna, it becomes clear that one such legend is still in the making, with her own family caught right in the middle.

This list is all me. I hope you don't mind. I'm a huge fan of novellas and anthologies, many know that. I enjoy reading them when they add to a story and I love them as stand alones too. It is something I'm able to read when life is crazy hectic and I can feed my need.

Again, I'm TERRIBLE! at putting my loves in order. They are all AMAZING reads in their own ways. So, let me share these with you...

A Wanderer's Tale: Rusted Memory by Jennifer Melzer
Wow. Meeting Morovio was more than I expected. I fell in love with Morovio by the way Jennifer spoke so poetically through words on the page. Morovio is a traveling bard with a curse that is more than we expected. Loved the writing. Loved the story. Loved the world. I want more of this!

Aces Wild by Amanda Carlson
Oooo. Sin City Collectors thank you very much! Paranormal romance with action and a story all in a novella format. Amanda shines in her writings, and she is amazing at writing in novella format too. Wow! I love the fun created here.

Hungry Like the Wendigo by Skyla Dawn Cameron
Ha! We get to spend time with Ryann and Ellie. This is a great time spent fighting something that shouldn't be at their local bar and hangout. Danger! And yet we still learn little pieces. I love this world!

Grimm Consequences by Kate SeRine
This series is showing up in a few lists because I'm addicted to it. I love the creation of the Here and Now with the fairy tale characters. It is a paranormal romance, but lovely. We learn so much more of one of my favorite characters, Nate Grimm.

A Cursed Moon by Cecy Robson
Oh my goodness! This one is through Bren's eyes and we see a lot from a different perspective in regards to Celia and the sisters and Aric. But, what we learn of Danny and... well, you need it. Believe me, if you are reading this series (and why aren't you?) you do need it. Again this is a paranormal romance series, but this alone is not.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

I'm honored to have Danielle and Day by today to share about number of years we have conquered from the Middle Eastern cultures. I found this rather interesting to learn. I hope you take time to look into their new steampunk release they wrote together.

Thank you Danielle and Day!

*********

The Number of Your Years, Not the Day of Your Birth

Recently my co-author, Day Al-Mohamed and I have been immersed in the Arabic culture. As we wrote Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn—a steampunk retelling of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves—it was an interesting experience, seeing the difference and the similarities both.

One thing I was not aware of as a difference until now, when I was asked to write this post, is that many Middle Eastern cultures do not have a tradition of celebrating birthdays. In fact, even today, some in those regions don’t know the date they were born.

Some have adopted the western tradition of birthday celebrations and there is even a Middle Eastern version of the happy birthday song adapting regional lyrics to the traditional tune, which you can listen to here:

Now, while birthday parties and such are not originally found in the culture—some individuals even find being wished a happy birthday a distasteful reminder they are another year closer to death—one thing I noted while doing research for our book is a great reverence for age. Not the anniversary of the day you were born—when you yet knew nothing—but your survival over years and decades and all the inherent wisdom it is presumed allowed you to do so. Great reverence is shown to elders in the Middle East.

So…great reverence to you, My World In Words and Pages, for surviving five years and harvesting great wisdom over that time!

Baba Ali and the Clockwork DjinnCome, Best Beloved, and sit you by my feet. I shall tell you a tale such as sister Scheherazade could have scarce imagined. A tale of wonders, of deeds both great and grievous, of courage that defies description, and above all, Child of Adam, I shall tell you a tale of love.The night is for the telling of tales to which the morning may bear Truth. In the oldest of days and ages and times, there was, and there was not, a great evil that reached across the desert and beyond…

In the Nejd there is nothing at all…except secrets. A band of thieves wish such secrets to remain hidden.

In England, far from his desert home, Ali bin-Massoud serves as apprentice to the famed Charles Babbage. One night a mysterious box is delivered by a clockwork falcon and Ali’s world is never the same again. Heartache, danger, and thieves mark his journey as Ali is summoned home at the death of his father.

It will take faith, knowledge, and yes, love to realize his destiny, and more than a little skill with steam-driven technology. Can he unravel the mystery of the puzzle box and the clockwork djinn before it is too late? An ancient legacy and Ali's very life depend on it.

Hear you the tale of Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn.

Author Bios:
Award-winning author Danielle Ackley-McPhail has worked both sides of the publishing industry for longer than she cares to admit. Currently, she is a project editor and promotions manager for Dark Quest Books.

Her published works include five urban fantasy novels, Yesterday's Dreams, Tomorrow's Memories, Today’s Promise, The Halfling’s Court: and The Redcaps’ Queen: A Bad-Ass Faerie Tale, and a young adult Steampunk novel, Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn, written with Day Al-Mohamed. She is also the author of the solo science fiction collection, A Legacy of Stars, the non-fiction writers’ guide, The Literary Handyman, and is the senior editor of the Bad-Ass Faeries anthology series, Dragon’s Lure, and In an Iron Cage. Her work is included in numerous other anthologies and collections.

She is a member of the Garden State Speculative Fiction Writers, the New Jersey Authors Network, and Broad Universe, a writer’s organization focusing on promoting the works of women authors in the speculative genres.

Day Al-Mohamed is author for the upcoming novel Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn, written with Danielle Ackley-McPhail. Day hosts the multi-author blog Unleaded: Fuel for Writers, and in addition to speculative fiction, she also writes comics and film scripts.

Her recent publications are available in “Daily Science Fiction,” Crossed Genres anthology "Oomph - A Little Super Goes a Long Way," and GrayHaven Comics' anti-bullying issue "You Are Not Alone." She is an active member of the Cat Vacuuming Society of Northern Virginia Writing Group, a member of Women in Film and Video, and a graduate of the VONA/Voices Writing Workshop.

When not working on fiction, Day is Senior Policy Advisor with the U.S. Department of Labor. She has also worked as a lobbyist and political analyst on issues relating to Health care, Education, Employment, and International Development. She loves action movies and drinks far too much tea. She lives in Washington, DC with her wife, N.R. Brown, in a house with too many swords, comic books, and political treatises.

Top 5 Reads:

Grab My Button!

I'm a blogger who:

_

Wednesday Post Hosted From Here: Who? What? Where?

Click to link your post to the latest one.

Thursday Post Hosted From Here: Throwback Thursday

Click to see the posts & link to the latest one.

About Me:

I'm happily married with a son, working through the day undercover as a book keeper in the mundane paper shuffling. But by night I enjoy journeying through fantasy worlds created by others and of my own. I read Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Dystopian, some Science Fiction, Paranormal and all in YA as well.

Finished...Review to Follow.

Finished...Review to Follow:

Finished...Review to Follow:

Finished...Review to Follow:

Click to learn more on Amazon.

Latest Thoughts Posted:

Click to go to thoughts on this story.

Overall Thoughts Posted:

Click to go to Review.

Quotes from Books, which caught my eye...

"It's always Ragnarok. Regular mortals have the power to blow the world sky-high and all the major supernatural factions can do the same. The thing is, though, as long as people want to live then you're going to have people stepping in the way of those who want to do something to blow us up. That's the only way you can endure it."Ben Talbot, By C.T. Phipps in Esoterrorism

"Be that as it may, we were--and no doubt, still are--held under scrutiny, with that whole Phoenix Society brouhaha. It is imperative we remain on our best behaviour, a feat that you did not exactly manage effortlessly with your shenanigans in Edinburgh." Wellington Books, By Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris in The Jaus Affair

"Remember this always: the fly, even in paradise, must always exist on shit."By Frances Pauli from The Fly in Paradise

"'In hundreds of years,' she continued, voice darker and sober now, 'I've only let myself love two people. You don't have that kind of time, though. You're mortal. You don't get to make a lot of mistakes before you kick it and if you wait, you get screwed over.'"By Skyla Dawn Cameron from Hunter

"...But I don't want you to be afraid to take risks. If it's worth it...If the person in his eyes is the person you want to be, the person you know you could be...then don't be scared..."By Nicole Peeler from Tracking the Tempest

"We are what we choose to be, girl," she said. "Let others determine your worth, and you've already lost, because no one wants people worth more than themselves..."By Peter V. Brett from The Warded Man.

"There are no honorable causes. There is no good or evil. Evil is only what we call those who oppose us."By Michael J. Sullivan from Nyphron Rising.

"That we are both right. One truth doesn't refute another. Truth doesn't lie in the object, but in how we see it."By Michael J. Sullivan from Nyphron Rising..

"Death is real, irreversible, and awful. Do you want some advice? Don't wait until you're dead to try to communicate. Do it now. You still have a chance. Not a great one, but a better one than you will have. If you think it's hard to get your point across now, and that no one really understands what you're about, just try it when you're dead." By Alexander Jablokov from Brain Thief.

"I wasn't running now so much as stumbling quickly, panting like a geriatric lion." By Nicole Peeler from Tempest Rising.

"Watch for the ones who leave your mouth hanging open. Study them, find out what they love and what they fear. Dig the treasure out of their soul and hold it to the light." He leaned in even closer now, so that Neb could smell the wine on his breath. "Then Be like them."By Ken Scholes from Lemantation.

The truth, the Seventeenth Gospel said, is a seed planted in a field of stones beneath a stone and guarded by snakes. To have at it, be strong enough to move the stone, patient enough to dig the hole and fast enough to dodge the viper's fang.By Ken Scholes from Lamentation.

I took a deep breath, "I took the nahlrout because I didn't want to faint. I needed to let them know they couldn't hurt me. I've learned that the best way to stay safe is to make your enemies think you can't be hurt." It sounded ugly to say it so starkly, but it was the truth. I looked at him defiantly.By Patrick Rothfuss from The Name of the Wind.

"We can be strong in the face of kings and priest, my lady," Ashe replied, "but to live is to have worries and uncertainties. Keep them inside, and they will destroy you for certain-leaving behind a person so callused that emotion can find no root in his heart."By Brandon Sanderson from Elantris.